Redemption
by Nikodema
Summary: Yoh wants to save his brother, who is not as resistant as he thought he would be. What if there is a chance that Hao would change his mind...? Developing relationship, mild language and violence (later chapters), mild & eventually: yaoi, HaoxYoh.
1. The Cliff

So, uhm... this is my first fanfiction ever written in English (which is not my first language). Any feedback would be highly appreciated.  
Posted also to AO3 under Nikulka nickname.  
Enjoy!

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Hao liked it this way. Dark, night sky covered with stars - all so familiar constellations, shining no matter what disaster was currently happening on this insignificant planet. The wind blew swiftly, moving gently his dark hair, as he sat on top of the cliff. He was stargazing, lost in thoughts, pretending that he hadn't noticed a slim figure leaning against the tree nearby. The atmosphere couldn't be more peaceful.  
"So loud…" sighed Hao suddenly. "Your thoughts are so loud." He turned slightly to face Yoh - his younger twin.  
"Sorry." muttered the other. "Mind if I join you?"  
Hao didn't bother to answer and just waved his hand in allowing gesture. Yoh came closer and sat just beside him.

Yoh was not sure why he decided to come to talk to his twin. Maybe he really wanted to make him change his mind about killing every human being on the planet? Maybe he just wanted to understand? They were brothers, after all, and for a long time he had no idea that person so closely related to him even existed. Now that they met, he wished he was given the chance to spend more time with his other half. Just to get to know him, just to befriend him… just to save him. "Not everyone has his chance for redemption…" said Hao answering Yoh's thoughts. He shook his head. "Stars are unusually bright tonight… I love the sky above the Patch village. I always did. It's so clear…" he smiled lightly. "I'm not making much sense, am I?" Hao sighed finally.

Yoh smiled. Actually, he liked that his brother talked to him in such a casual manner. Why he decided to do so remained the question, but Yoh decided not to give it too much thought. Things will always work out, after all.  
"It's fine." he replied finally. "Doing well?"  
"Pretty much, I guess."  
Yoh shifted slightly. There was a reason for his visit, and although he didn't hold out too much hope, he really wished that his brother would stop murdering everyone who does not agree with him.  
"Listen, Hao, I came here to…"  
"I know."  
"Okay, look. I'm not much good at talking - nor I'm the right person to tell you what is right or wrong. But I want to show you that there are other ways. You won't need to kill anyone anymore, and still manage to create the perfect world…"  
"Hush, hush." interrupted Hao. "I appreciate the effort, but it's no use. You won't be able to change my mind, let alone to save me. You'd better just go back to your friends - surely they are worried what takes you so long." he stated with a dull expression on his face.  
"Hao… please. Just let me explain. Or better still, I would try to show it with my thoughts and feelings, okay?" pleaded Yoh.  
Hao stared at him for a while, then shrugged.  
"Fine. Do whatever you want." he muttered, closing his eyes and lying on the grass.

And suddenly he became flooded with emotions - happiness coming from having friends, pain and sadness connected to death, his own family, all regretting that they were not able to help him and then decided to stop him any way possible, even if they hated the idea… and above all, Yoh's thoughts _"Please. Stop. You don't have to. For me. For us. For everyone…"_ And that was something what hit him. He hadn't felt it for a long while - that someone actually cared about him - that sincere concern. Hao sat abruptly, confused by the sudden realisation.  
"Yoh…" he said, looking sharply at his younger twin. "Don't. Such a low trick, appeal to emotions… if you don't really, sincerely mean it... just don't."  
In return, Yoh just smiled and took Hao's hand.  
"I do mean everything I have said or shown to you… you just need to trust me a little, okay?" he said happily. Almost carefree. As if he didn't know how strong impact his words and actions just had on his older brother. Hao said nothing, looking at their joined hands, his lips pressed into a thin line.  
"What do you want?" he asked finally, looking right into Yoh's eyes.  
"Just having my brother back." stated Yoh simply. "It might sound silly… but for some reason, even before we met, I felt like I have been missing something."  
Oh, now. That sentimental crap again. The story about "lost half" and lack of it through the whole life, been there, done that. Though in fact it was true - Yoh was actually his other half, but that was obvious and went without saying.  
"Yeah. You were, are and always will be mine." Hao shrugged simply. However, he did not expect the reaction that he received from Yoh, who blushed and suddenly moved slightly away from him. What the…? And then he felt the train of Yoh's thoughts and how it all sounded to his little brother. Oh. Okay. That might have been worded in a not exactly fortunate way. Although, he smiled - making his brother uncomfortable put him in control of the situation once again, which was good.  
"What's wrong, little brother?" Hao asked innocently with a playful smirk on his lips.  
"It's nothing, it's just… uh…" Yoh had a problem with making a coherent sentence, and his brother decided not to torment him anymore. At least for today.  
"It's getting late, Yoh. It was a pleasure to talk to you… surprisingly, much greater than I expected. If you wish… I will be here tomorrow as well. Then we can discuss all those silly requests of yours…" Hao stood up, smirk never leaving his face. "Good night, my sweet little brother." And having said that, he disappeared in the blaze of flames.

Yoh sat on the ground, still unable to think clearly. The hell just happened? What was he thinking? And more importantly, why he felt this weird sensation after hearing those words…? And the promise for the next day. All of it was so confusing…  
Slightly resigned, Yoh got up and went back to the inn, where he stayed with his friends.  
"You're late." stated Anna, rising an eyebrow, right after he entered. "I hope you have a good excuse."  
Yoh bit his lip. He was not entirely sure if telling her that he met with Hao was a good idea. Though… he was also unable to lie to her. He finally decided for a rather vague answer.  
"It's quite complicated… let me just say that if everything would work out well, we may have one huge problem less." And probably thousand more smaller ones, he added in his thoughts. "You just need to trust me on that."  
"Yoh…" there was a warning in her voice. "Just… don't do anything stupid." she sighed finally.  
"Don't worry - everything will be alright!" he smiled in answer. After all, it was his life motto. Everything will work out just fine…

On the other hand, Hao, now sitting by the bonfire, was no less confused than his brother. He…! The great Hao Asakura, a thousand years old shaman, the future shaman king. But he really didn't know what to make out of the whole situation. He would not admit that out loud, but he really missed his brother and was so angry that their family forced them to grow apart.  
Yoh's presence was so… soothing. After all those years, he had finally found peace at his twin's side. That moment, when they hold hands was worth for him more than anything. And that scared him, he felt like all he worked for was slipping from his hands, just because some short-haired, carefree guy gave him some attention…!  
"Hao-sama… is everything all right?" asked a little girl with a mess of dark, curly hair.  
"I'm fine, Opacho… it's just… I have a feeling that a lot is going to change very soon." Hao smiled reassuringly.  
"And Opacho will be there with Hao-sama! Always!" she stated cheerfully.  
Hao laughed warmly and stroked her hair. Maybe things will work out, after all…?


	2. I Would Never Hurt You

Yaay, second chapter!  
Special thanks to my awesome beta: NightOwlCC  
Enjoy!

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Yoh got up in the morning much more tired than when he went to bed. His thoughts about his brother didn't let him sleep properly; he tossed and turned all night. He had to see him. Desperately. And he wasn't sure how would he be able to last until the late evening. There was a longing, deep inside of him; the desire to feel that warm skin again, to hear the gentle voice of the other.

All of his friends thought of Hao like he was some kind of demon, a monster without a soul or feelings, the one with whom there is no reasoning and who would kill all of them whenever he felt like doing it. Yoh knew that was not quite true. Well… at least he hoped that the glimpse of Hao's hesitation and his invitation for the evening were signs that he couldn't be that bad. Perhaps...

During breakfast, Ren Tao looked at Yoh carefully. It was so unlike him to be so quiet and almost… dissociated from reality. Something must have happened - he was sure of it. And it was something that Yoh wanted to keep from them… Ren's eyes narrowed. Oh. That. There was only one possible explanation, considering all the facts - the crazy fire shaman, Hao. He sighed. It wasn't that he worried about Yoh - of course, people like Ren Tao never worried about anyone, right? It was just a mild concern, because he didn't want to fight a weakling - he promised him that he will overpass him, after all. He just needed a challenge. But still…

When Yoh left the inn, Ren made sure that they went out together and that they were alone.  
"Yoh… don't let that bastard mess with you. Your first fight in this round is still yet to come. Don't allow yourself to become… weak." he stated sharply. Yoh stopped suddenly.  
"Everything will be all right." he replied quietly. "I need answers, and I'm going to get them." He didn't look Ren in the eyes.  
"Yeah, sure, you idiot." snorted Ren. "Whatever. Take care of yourself. I will keep an eye on you." he finished simply.  
That conversation had only increased his worries, though he hated to admit it, even to himself. Yoh… what has happened to you? He decided that he needed to act on that matter somehow. And he had an idea how...

Meanwhile, Hao was supervising the training of his supporters. Not that he cared a lot, but they were useful and strong enough to deserve at least a bit of his sympathy. They would become a part of his kingdom very soon… also, he was proud that they have been making such a great progress under his care. They could very well take care of themselves now, in fact. But… he needed to fill up his time until the evening with something. He didn't look like it, he never did, but he was nervous. A little.  
Suddenly, he felt a new stream of thoughts - someone was approaching him. Oh… young Tao. Good, he was going to talk to him anyway. He winced, however - the thoughts of the other were focused on Yoh… why did Tao seem so concerned about him? Did something happen to him? And why, from all people, did he decide to come up to Hao with this?  
"Got lost?" he asked innocently, turning to face Ren.  
"Stop fooling around. If what they say about your abilities is true, you already know why I came here." he stated angrily.  
"More or less." Hao gave him a mild smile. He liked Tao - he was 'straight to the point'. It would be good to have him on his side.  
"Let's be done with this quickly. You hurt Yoh, and I will find you, and I will kill you. Slowly. Painfully. You would suffer for every second you even though of hurting him." Ren hissed. Hao looked at the young Tao, astonished. And then... he started to laugh uncontrollably. Oh, that kid was so amusing! He never expected him to hold such deep affection for Yoh. But this…! He really thought that his babbling would make any difference, as if Tao could even scratch him…! Pathetic. All of a sudden he stopped laughing and appeared just a few inches from Ren's ear.  
"Don't worry, I would never hurt my little brother… he is too important to me." he whispered. "You, Tao Ren, on the other hand… what makes you think I won't kill you right here and now?" he smiled viciously. Ren didn't move away, he didn't even shiver - his face looked as stiff as mask.  
"Because if you did, you would hurt Yoh." he answered with a delicate smile.  
Hao took a step back, looking at Ren with an inscrutable expression.  
"I would really like to have you as my supporter…" he said slowly, then turned back to face the training field. "You'd better leave now." he ended the conversation. Tao chuckled, but did as instructed. He really felt like he won. For now.

Yoh was wandering through the village, killing time, which was passing so slowly it was almost unbearable. The streets in the Patch village looked identical, with all the white buildings, and he no longer had any idea where he was or where he was going. It didn't bother him much, though. Just to survive until the evening…He obviously could do something more productive - read, train, even just sit and relax with his friends. But he just couldn't stay in one place or focus on anything right now. So he walked… suddenly, he fell to his knees. He saw…

...fire, a lot of fire, the noises, the screams, the pain... oh, god, how it hurt... it hurt, it hurt! Why, God? Why me? Why now? Please don't let her burn, don't let her suffer... OH, NO, NO! STAY AWAY! Run... run, run now, far away... The forest... The forest; good, dark forest…

...he choked. What on earth was that? It was like a memory, an incredibly vivid memory, though he couldn't locate it anywhere in time and space. He panted heavily, like he had really been running fast just a moment before, his chest rising and falling in desperate attempts to catch some fresh air. The overhelming pain was slowly disappearing, though he still felt sick after what he… not really saw, the image was very blurred, but felt. He looked up towards the sky. The sun was setting, so he decided that he might as well go to the cliff right now. Maybe Hao would help him ease his mind and explain what happened… maybe in his thousand years long experience he had witnessed something similar. Climbing up, he wished so badly for his brother to be already there. And gladly, he was; just like yesterday. Yoh sighed with relief. That was good. He stood quietly, not sure what to do or say.  
"Oh, my, what a mess..." Hao sighed. "Your mind, I mean."  
He acted calm, like everything was in a perfect order, but winced inside - he found something in Yoh's mind what shouldn't have been there. How was that even possible…? Yoh came closer and sat heavily on the ground, immediately resting his head on Hao's shoulder.  
"I had… a flashback. I think. Sort of, at least. I don't really know what it was, but it was so… terrifying." Yoh said quietly. "Do you have any idea what could that be?"  
Hao sat in silence. He wasn't sure how much could he tell him… he wasn't even sure he himself knew what to say.  
"I have a suspicion… but I need to verify that. Until then… don't stress over it too much." Hao sighed finally. His little brother was sometimes so… troublesome. Hao felt that Yoh was definitely not satisfied with the answer, so he stroked his hair. "Now, now. What is that you always say?'Everything is going to work out', right?" he smiled warmly. Yoh chuckled.  
"You really aren't as bad as they make you seem…"  
"Aye. So, willing to join me now?" Hao smiled playfully.  
"In your dreams. How about you joining me?" grinned Yoh.  
"Forget it."

It was so soothing… it just felt right, having his brother, laughing with him… even if their ideologies were completely different, they were able to respect each other and forget about the conflict. Just for a little while… just for a few moments more.  
But for now, that evening, they had a lot of time. Time to talk and catch up… and who can tell what the future holds?


End file.
